Often times people think of unity as something that can only happen when people are physically together. It is thought of as a group of people who are all physically together in a specific location. But that isn’t always true. Unity can be felt even when you’re many miles away. It starts with a connection to a group of people. Once you have that connection, unity can be felt by something as simple as a phone call or text message checking on you. It can be felt through a letter in the mail or a hug when you return.
There has been a lot of change this past year in my life since moving away for college. Luckily, I got to experience my first year of college with a group of friends I had grown up with. Even though I wasn’t going through this changing time alone, it still can bring up different feelings and questions. Some of those feelings might be excitement or nervousness, while some questions come up about where I fit in or where my place is. During this time, a few things remained constant, like the relationships with the people at Riverwood. Something special about our Riverwood family is the unity we experience when we are together and even when we are apart. When I am physically there, I notice the conversations, laughter, and love shared by all. When I cannot be there, I have received text messages and mail from people saying I am missed and asking about how life is going. Simple things like this make me feel unity with Riverwood. One thing that I always know is that I have a place at Riverwood.
I think God was trying to teach me this past year about the importance of these relationships and continuing to make strong ones. We become more united when we build strong relationships and try to deepen those connections continuously. We might feel alone when people don’t physically surround us, but we aren’t. God is always with us and has blessed us with people in our lives that love and support us even when we aren’t physically together.